1. Aiming High – Strategies for meaningful youth participation from Link Up
Jacquelyne Alesi

2. Aiming High for Meaningful Youth Engagement
Young people aged account for 40% of new HIV infections globally. Cultural expectations of ‘appropriate’ behavior and norms around discussing sexuality often make access to integrated HIV and SRHR services difficult for young people. Compounded by stigma and discrimination, imbalanced power dynamics, gender inequality and lack of confidentiality, young people living with and affected by HIV are particularly likely to be excluded from SRHR programming and policy.
The Flower of Participation illustrates the ways young people can be involved in programmes and organisations.
Source: CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality.

3. 10 Strategies for Meaningful Youth Engagement
Agree together to roles, responsibilities and expectations with youth.
Support young people’s leadership by giving them decision-making roles in all stages of the project.
Regularly ask young people whether their views and ideas are being heard, and how participation can be improved.
Identify opportunities and support young people to advocate for their issues, and to safely share their experience and knowledge as experts.
Build skills and knowledge of young people - including through mentorship - so they can confidently and effectively take part in both decision-making and implementation.
Use language that is understandable, respectful, and accessible to everyone.
Give young people enough support and resources [financial and other] in a timely manner; do not expect them to volunteer their time.
Value and respect the perspectives and views of young people.
Support consultation and feedback between young people and the communities they represent.
Trust young people to take responsibility and be accountable for programme delivery.

4. Within Link Up, young people living with and most affected by HIV were...
In practice:

5. Internal project governance and advisory
Given space at consortium meetings to participate equally with colleagues in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of activities across the project
On global youth advisory group to inform the Link Up project
Financially supported in their youth networks and as focal points to dedicate time to the project
Actively consulted for feedback on youth participation within the project

6. The Link Up project employs youth focal points in each country.
Example from Link Up
The Link Up project employs youth focal points in each country.
communicate regularly with Link Up partners
mentor other young people
Input into program planning and implementation
provide expertise
Identify and report back on priority issues for YPLWH and SRHR
Evaluate and report back on country-level activities
Participate in Link Up trainings, meetings, and side events
Feed key messages into advocacy efforts

7. Community mobilisation
Delivering peer education training and mentoring other young peer educators
Leading one-to-one peer outreach, small group discussions and support groups, and community-wide events
Implementing youth-led education sessions for teachers, school staff, parents and service providers, so young people can share their experience with community partners
#6 Use language that is understable, respectful and accessible to everyone
#10 Trust young people to take responsibility and be accountable for programme delivery

8. Example from Link Up
In Ethiopia, young people who sell sex from the Nikat Charitable Association were trained on SRHR and HIV issues and as peer educators. They then led peer education session in their places of work.

9. Service provision
Received training and support to provide HIV counselling/testing services
Supported as peer educators during clinical outreach
Distributed female/male condoms and IEC materials during outreach and group sessions
Worked as ‘mystery clients’ to evaluate youth-friendly service provision
#5 Build skills and knowledge of young people so they can confidently and effectively take part in decision-making and implementation
#9 Support consultation and feedback between young people and the communities they represent

10. Example from
Link Up
In Burundi, Link Up supported the start up of a youth centre run by Burundi’s national network of young people living with HIV, Réseau National des Jeunes Vivant avec le VIH/SIDA (RNJ+). The centre opened in 2014 and is used and run exclusively by young people living with and most affected by HIV. It is one of its kind in Bujumbura, offering information, counselling, training, testing, contraception, male/female condoms, a helpline, referrals and community outreach.

11. Policy and advocacy Met with community leaders for local advocacy
Trained in leadership and advocacy and played a major role in designing country’s annual advocacy strategy
Became mentors to less experienced youth advocates
Engaged in national and global-level policy processes
#4 Identify opportunities and support young people to advocate for their issues, and to safely share their experience and knowledge as experts.
#8 Value and respect the perspectives and views of young people

12. Link Up supported the development of the Young Key Population Charter to contribute to Uganda’s concept note to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Youth-led networks of young people living with HIV called for and convened a consultation among young people living with HIV and from key populations to prioritise and articulate their needs and priorities in the lead-up to the Uganda GF concept note. The charter was drawn and presented in a civil society consultation, including content from the youth charter.
Example from
Link Up

13. Research
#2 Support young people’s leadership by giving them decision-making roles in ALL stages of the project
#3 Regularly ask young people whether their views and ideas are being heard
Wrote and presented abstracts to be shared at national, regional and global conferences
Delivered oral and written evidence-based interventions at the UN, the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board and others
Helped shape the design and implementation of research and a project mid-term review as co-researchers, and co- authored research papers

14. Example from
Link Up
External consultants conducting a mid-term review of Link Up working directly with a team of paid co-consultants of youth advocates from Uganda representing young people living with HIV and young people from key affected populations. The youth consultants developed and reviewed interview tools for youth focus group discussions and key informant interviews with stakeholders and contributed to data analysis.